I was watching Mark comfort a little girl who was apparently named Amber. I guess he called her Am though. She was about ten or eleven, she had a soft, kind face, she was wearing a blue hospital gown. I couldn't help but notice that she was covered in huge purple and black bruises and gnarly scars. It made me sad. Why was she freaked out? Why was she so beat up.
I walked up to her and introduced myself. When she turned so I could see the other side of her face, I saw a large cut over her eye. That eye was milky white. Her face was so beautiful though.
"I'm Max." I said.
"I'm Amber. What are you doing here?" She asked. I frowned. That's was kind of rude. She saw my frown and panicked.
"Please don't hit me!" She duct and put her arms above her head.
"Don't worry I would never hurt you. I'm sorry I just got a little confused. I'm Marks girlfriend. I promise I didn't mean to scare you." She hesitantly came out of hiding.
"It's ok. Sorry. You're that Max that Mark talks about aren't you?"
"Mark talks about me?"
"Yeah. He talks about you a lot. He told me about how beautiful he thinks you are, and when he started liking you, and how sweet he thinks you are. He told me that he wants to marry you and have at least one kid. He also said that he wants to grow old with you. He had me help him right that letter he gave you. He wanted to make a good impression and everything he was telling me didn't even make sense so I had to say the same thing just simpler."
"Wow. Thank you. Does he ever tell you how beautiful you are?"
"Yeah. I don't believe him though."
"Well you should because you're gorgeous." She smiled. She looked so happy. I saw bruises that matched fingers, they were fresh. Probably from the nurses who accepted that they were no longer needed, and left. Amber, looking thankful, crawled out of bed and walked out of the room. Mark and I slowly followed.
"What happened to her?" I asked. Mark became sad.
"She has PTSD." He responded.
"Why? She was abused by her dad for ten years. Her mother was selfish and didn't care that she was getting hurt, because he was nice to her mom. Her dad would hit her, yell at her, and sometimes he would cut her with a knife. He has slammed her against walls and knocked her out. Then while she was unconscious, she would wake up to him slapping her. That's why when she sleeps she wakes up panicking."He started to cry. "She was only ten and she knew that if she ran away she wouldn't survive. Her mom would sit back and watch and do nothing. She is such a sweet girl. Eventually she came to school with that cut in her face and the teacher got concerned. When CPS took her away she was terrified and couldn't sleep. She was given to us and we've taken care of her for two years. Well I have. Everyone else just make it worse by pinning her down. They don't know though. She only told me about it."
"Wow."
"I just don't know what would make someone do something so terrible to a defenseless little girl like that."
"Me neither." I was stunned but I wasn't surprised. I knew something happened because of the bruises and scars.
We turned a corner to an empty hallway that lead to a large room that had only a small desk that had a speaker on it. Mark plugged his phone into the speaker. He started playing a song that I loved. I watched Amber mouth the words.
All day. Staring at the ceiling making friends with shadows on the wall. All night hearing voices telling me that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for something.
She looked so happy. I couldn't help but smile. People in this hospital are so full of hope. I needed that hope. I loved that hope. They appeared to see a better tomorrow.
Mark put his arm around me. He looked at me and smiled. He was like a father to this girl. And he was a good one.
"You're really good with her." I said.
"Well I love this girl." He responded.
"Sorry to break it to you, but I think she's a little too young for you. Eighteen and twelve are two very different ages."
"Ha. I know. That's not what I meant."
"I know."
"She's just so sweet and so beautiful. She deserves to get out of here."
"Why not file a report on the nurses."
"No one here listens."
"Let me have a crack at them." I don't think Mark knows that I'm a very persuasive person. If I put my mind to it I can do anything. I'm highly skilled.
"You can't discuss problems with them unless you're a parent or doctor."
"Then I'll adopt her."
"You can't just decide to adopt her. You need to sign some paper work, get a release form, get permission from her caretakers, and get permission from her parents."
"Well I will. Tell me were her parents live." Mark sighed but wrote the address down on my hand. I had won. Yay.
As I drove to the address, I thought about what her parents might have been like. I imagined them giving away the sweet little girl that they hated so much, with a big smile on their faces.
I got to a torn up house that had sick yellow grass for a lawn. To my horror, it was the address I was looking for. I hopped up the front steps and rang the doorbell. I heard stuff smashing then a horrifying man opened the door. He seemed to growl at me and stare into my soul.
"What do you want?" The man barked. I took the forms he needed to sign, out of my pocket.
"I need you to sign this. I need your signature in order to adopt your daughter." I said, trying not to show how scared I was.
"Amber?"
"Yes." That huge man grabbed me by my arm hard and tried to pull me in his house. I fought back. I tugged and tugged but he wouldn't let go. Eventually I was able to plant my feet on the doorframe. Bad idea. That just made him yank harder. When he got me threw, it not only dislocated my shoulder, but tore some muscles in my legs as well. He shut the door then spiked my head off the wall. I was unconscious in the house of an abuser.